Spicy Black Beans
Spicy Black Beans
To give black beans character, most people round up the usual suspects—onions, garlic, ground cumin, and chili powder. We’ve got them too, but we add extra layers of flavor and heat with toasted whole cumin seeds and chipotle powder. If you have a sweet spot for sour, you might also want to add the optional vinegar. Instead of distilled white, you could add 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Not classic, but really tasty. As far as the beans go, you can take matters into your own hands (literally) and cook dried ones from scratch. We wrote the recipe for canned, but we can tell you that it pays to CYOB. Serve with Broiled Bluefish with Cilantro-Chipotle Mayonnaise, Grilled Shrimp with Smoky Barbecue Rub, Grilled Chipotle-Orange Scallops, or Mesquite Lime Chicken (either version). For a vegetarian meal, serve with Southwestern Millet Salad.
Per serving: 143 calories, 3 g total fat, trace saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 19 g total carbohydrate, 10 g dietary fiber, 14 g protein, 410 mg sodium.
Estimated Cook Time: < 30 minutes.
Difficulty: Easy.
Servings: 6
I have never tried spicy beans before…I am in the mood to try something spicy. By the way, do these beans need soaking?
Hi, Anna. You can use either canned beans, which never have to be soaked (just rinse and drain), or home-cooked ones. If you want to cook your own black beans, they do not have to be soaked. Just pick over them, rinse, and cook to desired tenderness. They will take a bit longer than soaked ones, but we never soak them. (We think they’re harder to digest after soaking.)
TH Team